Three-Day Extension In Works?

Details of the pending budget deal are slowly leaking out, in rather unusual ways. A short time ago, TPM’s Benjy Sarlin overheard Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) telling a small tour group in the Capitol that there’s an agreement in place for a three-day extension to avert a shutdown while details of the final deal are finalized.

Shortly after that, a press release appeared prematurely on the website of Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE) expressing his pleasure that a “three-day budget agreement” had been reached. The press release has since been pulled down. Here’s a screengrab:

All of this suggests that Republicans in Congress have been alerted to the contours of the deal, but that the leadership in both chambers is still in the process of selling the deal to their members. They can’t get a deal passed in time to beat the deadline, but this intermediate step will avoid a shutdown and give them time to complete the deal. Whether it’s a three-day bridge or a seven-day bridge doesn’t make much difference. The point is an agreement looks on the verge of being in place.